Protector for automatic filling-replenishing looms.



J. TOWERS.

PROTECTOR FOR AUTOMATIC FILLING REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1918.

1,285,844. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

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UNTTD STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JESSE TOWERS, 0F CORNWALL, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORA- TION, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPQRATION OF MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

' Application filed. April 25, 1918. Serial No. 230,630.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, J nssu Townns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cornwall, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented an Improvement in Protectors for Automatic Filling-Rep1enishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to automatic filling replenishing looms wherein the running filling is replenished prior to complete .exhaustion, wherein a shuttle feeler is provided to detect improper positioning of the shuttle at the replenishing end of the loom, and wherein preferably also the shuttle feeler is provided with means forv severing the spent filling between the cloth and the shuttle when filling replenishment is effected. In looms provided with such mechanism the shuttle feeler and the filling parting mechanism when associated therewith are given a movement toward the lay as the lay beats up to project .over the lay into the path traversed by the shuttle. If the loom is operating perfectly the shuttle is boxed at the transfer or replenishing end of the loom before these devices cross the path of the shuttle so that no in- If, however, the shuttle before entering the box is for any reason deflected from its course or is otherwise inis-positioned in its flight toward the replenishing end of the loom. which not infrequently happens especially when heavy and tough filling is being woven, the shuttle may be deflected sufficiently from its course to strike the side of the shuttle feeler or the thread parting mechanism carried thereby and thus damage or destroy these parts and otherwise injure the loom mechanism.

The object of thisinvention is to prevent injurious results when such mispositioning frame and projecting alongside the shuttle feeler and passing over the lay in front of the entrance to the shuttle box upon the vbeat up so that this buffer will be struck by the mispos tioned shuttle and the entire force of the blow taken by the buffer.

These and other features and objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings show so much of an auto matic filling replenishing loom of the well known Northrop type as is sufficient for a disclosure of the present invention.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of an automatic filling replenishing loom of the N orthrop type with those parts not particularly concerned with the present invention broken away or omitted;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the buffer guide and buffer.

This type of loom being familiar to those skilled in the art it will be sufficient to describe it only in a general way. The loom frame carries at the front the breast beam 1 and at the right the hopper stand 2 supporting the magazine or hopper, one disk of which is indicated at 3. This hopper is supplied with a plurality of fresh filling carriers and from this hopper by suitable transfer mechanism a fresh fillingcarrier is transferred from the hopper to the shuttle then boxed therebeneath and forces out the spent filling carrier in the shuttle. The shuttle 4 is picked back and forth .on the race 5 of the lay .6 whichswings toward and from the breast beam in the usual manner. At each end of the lay shuttle boxes 7 and 8 are provided and the shuttle 4 is herein shown boxed in the shuttle box 7 atthe transfer'or replenishing end of the loom. Suitable mechanism such, for example, as the usual filling fork 9 is provided for indicating failure or absence of filling and, through the usual train of mechanism including the starter rod 10, setting into operation the transfer or replenishing mechanism.

In order to insure that transfer shall not fill to provide filling parting mechanism and to locate this parting mechanisn'i upon the shuttle feeler.

A well known type of shuttle feeler and thread parting mechanism is illustrated and described in the patent to Cunnift' No. 83%,269 granted October 30, 1906 and the preceding patent to Draper No. 6333. 23 granted September 2 1, 1901 and it will therefore be unnecessary to describe this mechanism in detail. lhe shuttle feeler 11 is pivoted to swing rearwardly and forwardly across the path of the shuttle and directly at the entrance to the shuttle box. In the form referred to it carries mounted thereon parting and-clamping blades 12 which open as the shuttle feeler is moved rearward to allow the filling to pass between and which upon the forward movement of the shuttle feeler close severing the spent filling, clamping the severed end and carrying it forwardly to bring it into the path of the usual temple thread cutter. An arm 120 usually forms a part of th shuttle i feelcr clamping and parting mechanism and may be of the type shown in either of the patents above referred to. It is usiuxll pro vided with a cam 121. cotiperating with a pin 122 projecting from one of the clamping blades 12 to effect the opening movement thereof, and it usually also projects rearwardly shown to support the filling. Such an arm stands forwardly of the shuttle fceler when the shuttle feeler is projected to its rearward or feeling position.

lhe shuttle feeler 11 and the clamping and parting blades 12 carried thereby are swung into rearmost position immediately upon the call for filling replenishment and stand thus rearwardly projected. As the lay beats up the shuttle feeler and the clamping and parting mechanism pass over the raceway on the lay across the path of the shuttle and directly behind the shuttle when in boxed position. It will be seen. therefore, that if during the beat up and before the shuttle in its flight has reached the box at the transfer end of the loom the shuttle is mispositioned and thrown out of its path it may strike againstthe rearwardly projected shuttle feeler with its filling clamping and parting mechanism. The shuttle at this time is mov ing at high speed and with great momentum and the shuttle feeler and connected parts are comparatively delicate so that if the shuttle under these circumstances strikes the shuttle feeler or the filling clamping and parting mechanism carried thereby serious injury is done to the loom and many of the parts are broken. If by any chance the shuttle should be thrown out of its path sufficiently to reach the arm 120 that arm would also be injured or broken.

This invention provides for obviating this catastrophe. This bufier may be made of any suitable material against which the nose of a flying shuttle may strike without injury to the shuttle and without destruction of the bufler. /Vood has been found to be espe cially suitable for this purpose and is cheap and may be easily renewed when worn outbut any suitable fibrous material or other material may be employed.

In the construction illustrated as a preferred form of the invention a buffer guide is provided in the form of a box-like casting 13 provided with a laterally projecting flange 14 by which it may be adjustably secured to the breast beam by set screws 15 passing through elongated slots in the flange. This buffer guide is so positioned as to extend transversely of the loom and is mounted immediately adjacent and alongside the shuttle feeler and thread clamping and parting mechanism.

The buffer proper in the preferred form illustrated is shown as a long rectangular block of wood 16 mounted to slide longitudinally in the buffer guide 13 and held therein by cover plates 17 screwed to the side walls of the buffer guide. In its normal position the buffer projects rearwardly beyond the buffer guide alongside the shuttle feeler and at such a height that as the lay beats up it passes over the lay in front of the entrance to the shuttle box and across the path of the shuttle.

it will thus be seen that if in the flight of the shuttle it is sutliciently mispositioned to strike the shuttle feeler it will with the bu .tler thus positioned strike against the side of the buffer because the buffer extends alongside the shuttle feeler and always projects as far to the rear as the shuttle feeler. Thus it is impossible for the shuttle to he against the shuttle feeler Or the filling clamping and parting mechanism. carried thereby or even the. arm 120 and no harm is done by the shuttle striking against the buffer other than gradually to wear out the buffer which may be replaced.

With the buffer projecting so far rearwardly it obvious that if the shuttle is not quite boxed or improperly boxed as the lay beats up the ends of the buffer might come into contact with the face of the shuttle and thus cause a smash. In order to prevent this the buffer is made forwardly yielding. This is secured by forming a recess 18 in the bottom of the buffer 16 and seating therein a helical spring 19 which abuts at its rear end the rear wall of the recess and at its forward end a lug 20 projecting upwardly from the buffer guide. Pins 21 act to maintain the spring 19 in place. It now the end of the buffer comes in contact with the shuttle or any other obstruction it will yield forwardly against the tension of the spring 19 and as the lay beats back the buffer will return to its normal position under the action of the spring. To enable access readily to be had to the spring 19 the bottom of the buffer guide is formed with a recessed or cut away portion 23.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a shuttle feeler movable toward the lay upon the beat up following a call for filling replenishment, a buffer supported from the loom frame and projecting alongside the shuttle feeler and passing upon the beat up over the lay in front of the entrance to the shuttle box at the replenishing end of the loom whereby a shuttle sufliciently mispositioned in its flight toward the replenishing end of the loom to strike the shuttle fceler will be caught by the buffer.

2. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising the combination defined in claim 1 in which in addition means are provided to permit said buffer to yield forwardly and thus prevent a smash should the end of the buffer contact with the shuttle upon the beat up.

3. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a shuttle feeler movable toward the lay upon the beat up following a call for filling replenishment, a butter gulde mounted on the loom frame adjacent the shuttle feeler, a bufier mounted to slide and yield forwardly in the guide and projecting. alongside the shuttle feeler and passing upon the beat up over the lay in front of the entrance to the shuttle box at the replenishin end of the loom whereby a shuttle sufliciently mispositioned in its flight toward the replenishing end of the loom to strike the shuttle feeler will be caught by the bufi'er and whereby a smash will be prevented should the end of the bufler contact with the shuttle upon the beat up.

4. An automatic filling replenishing loom comprising a shuttle feeler movable toward the lay upon the beat up following a call for filling replenishment, a bufier guide box mounted on the loom frame transversely thereof adjacent the shuttle feeler, a wooden bufier mounted to slide in said guide and projecting beyond said buffer guide box and passing upon the beat up over the lay in front of the entrance to the shuttle box at the replenishing end of the loom, and a spring interposed between the bufl'er and the guide box permitting the butter to yield forwardly, whereby a shuttle sufliciently mispositioned in its flight toward the replenishing end of the loom to strike the shuttle feeler will be caught by the buffer and whereby a smash will be prevented should the end of the buffer contact with the shuttle upon the beat up.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JESSE TOWERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

